A/N: Please forgive me if Yuri's costume isn't too creative. I was going for a minimalistic look. Haha! But honestly, that's the best I can think of :(

Anyways, hope you'll like this new chapter!


CHAPTER 7

Before I made my way to the lobby, I put on my hero costume. Mine wasn't really that flashy compared to others. Unlike Inasa who literally looked like a military officer in his outfit. That guy really wants to stand out from the rest, all the time.

I carefully pulled my maroon long sleeved crop top above my head. The cloth easily hugged the curves of my body since it was partly made of spandex. It was showing a little bit of my skin, exposing my abdomen. There are black side stripes on each sleeve adding an accent to my plain outfit.

I put on my gray leggings that extends up to my ankles. The cloth is made from polyester which is very durable and resistant to most chemicals. A leather nunchaku case is attached on the right side of my leggings to hold my weapon. The strap holding it was tied around my waist to secure it. After years of training, I'm more confident and secure using it during combat. It added a bit of weight but I knew my telekinetic quirk wasn't enough for defense. I chose to wear a black lace up ankle boots so that I could run at ease not having to worry about tripping. I decided to go for a braid so that my school cap won't mess my hair.

I left the rest of my uniform in the locker room and decided to walk towards the waiting area. To my expectation, it was filled with a bunch of students. All of them pumped up and anxious at the same time. I gaped in awe, amazed at the different hero costumes right before my very eyes. Some have really weird and revealing ones. The others even have heavy equipments attached to theirs.

"I seriously think that hero costume is revealing." Inasa who was behind me said out loud. "Aren't you gonna have it re-made?"

"Revealing? Which part? My abdomen? Dude, did you even see Camie's? She is showing way too much part of her chest." I bluntly said. "And there are more daring costumes in here. Look around you." I eyed one female student whose breasts were covered except her mid-chest was exposed.

I'm sure she has a good reason for that.

Inasa cleared his throat pulling me out of my gaze. "Just looking out for you, you know?" Inasa rolled his eyes.

I just laughed and nudged his side. "Don't get too overprotective. I can take care of myself." I took out my nunchucks and swung it in front of him.

"Hey!" Inasa raised both of his hands. "You better be careful with that! That kills!"

I smirked as he said those to me. I returned it to the strap attached to my thigh.

"Good choice, Yuriko-chan. I believe that among the freshmen in Shiketsu, you have the most advanced combat skills." Mora-san said behind Inasa. "Just be more cautious. You might hurt yourself if you become reckless."

"Yes, senpai!" I bowed my head.

"So did you happen to see how Camie had been hit on many times today?" Shishikura said eyeing a group of guys drooling at Camie's presence.

"What's new? It has always been like this whenever we go out of school." Inasa added, fixing the thick fur on his collar.

"And you're the only one who has never been enticed to this beauty." Camie put his palm on Inasa's cheek. Inasa's face was all flustered.

I chuckled and laughed at them. Camie began hugging him tightly.

"It's because I'm not interested!" Inasa said pushing Camie away.

"You're such a killjoy." Camie fell in beside me. "So Yuri... Did you run across someone who's your type?" She paused and whispered on my ear. "Cause you know, I can spy two good-looking future heroes checking you out from afar. Look, spiky blonde and dual-haired boy."

I looked at the direction Camie just pointed at me and saw Bakugo and Shoto glancing at our side. I quickly looked away.

"If they're checking out on someone, it's obviously you, Camie."

"I don't think so." Camie suddenly left me and saw the spiky blonde heading towards my direction. I looked over at both my sides and saw my schoolmates having a conversation with people I barely know.

Oh no. He's really coming this way. I should just walk-

"Oy! Taiyaki girl!"

I looked at him and pointed my index finger right across my chest. "Me?"

"Yes. Who else? Idiot."

Well this is totally not what you call checking me out.

"Hey, what's up?" was all I could manage to say.

"So, Shiketsu, huh?"

"Yup." I smiled.

"Bet you just got in cause of your charm and all that shit."

Charm and all that shit? He just obviously complimented and cursed me at the same time. What an interesting person.

"Maybe?" I scratched the back of my head. I replied without any intention of irking him or making myself look smart.

He furrowed his eyebrows looking a bit puzzled at my response. Was he actually thinking that I would lose my cool with his taunts?

"I don't know why you rejected your recommendations at UA but don't you ever think that your school is better than ours." The blonde guy's voice was serious. If I knew better, he's just curious what my quirk was.

"I never thought of it that way, Bakugo. But I don't want you thinking that you're better than the rest of us. Oh right, I recall you saying something like that at the Sports Festival." I tried to control my temper but this guy is getting on my nerves.

I saw Shoto, Midoriya and a black-haired guy, who they call Iida, stood behind Bakugo.

"Bakugo." Iida said gripping the blonde's arms. "We are from UA. Please be aware of our school's reputation."

Bakugo shook off his arm and glared at him. "To hell with reputation! Why? Are you scared? Of them?" Bakugo reached out his hand and pointed at me and the rest of us from Shiketsu.

"Hey, hey! If I were you, I wouldn't do that. Especially not at Yuri." Inasa said moving a step forward so that I was behind him.

"Well, look. Another fucking side character. Trying to defend your girlfriend here?" Bakugo said with a smirk on his face.

Inasa's eyebrows furrowed at the blonde's comment. I gazed at Shoto and saw him give Inasa a glare. His gaze back at Bakugo and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please don't start a fight here." Shoto's remarks were directed at Bakugo but his eyes were on me and Inasa.

"I'm not starting a fight. I'm just curious what these fucktards are capable of considering that one of them have the guts to reject their recommendations at UA." Bakugo glared at Shoto. "Are you also being protective with your friend?" The blonde eyed me.

"Would you keep your cool? I'm not being protective or anything."

"This half and half bastard is scared! When did you get scared at a girl? I just want them to know who's gonna rise at the top of this very arena." The spiky blonde said with smirk on his face.

Bakugo held both of his gauntlet and started to aim at me and Inasa. I could see him gradually unleashing sparks on both of his weapon. I stood on my ground. From the corner of my eye, I saw Inasa balled his fist preparing to use his quirk. Before the angry blonde could even detonate his explosives, I reached out my hand and sent him flying at the farthest back of the room. I didn't put too much force. Just enough to make a distance between the two of us. His back softly hit the wall. All eyes were on him and then back at me. I began to turn my heel and walked towards another direction not too far from the UA students.

I seriously don't want to be a show off but this guy is pushing my buttons.

I can hear Bakugo cursing at me as I walk away. I heard his footsteps follow my trail. I turned around only to see him being strangled by his classmates. Shoto froze Bakugo's feet at the ground. His face looked like he was running out of patience.

I bowed in front of them. "I'm sorry. I was just protecting myself."

"No worries, Sorahiko-san! This guy is really crazy!" Midoriya said as he placed both of Bakugo arms behind his back to avoid using his quirk at us.

I nodded at the green-haired boy. I was about to turn around when I hear Inasa say, "Hey." His voice was serious compared to his enthusiastic vibe from earlier. "It wasn't just Yuri who rejected the UA recommendations. I did too. Just so you know, UA isn't the only hero school in Japan. You better watch your backs." At those last words, Inasa's stern gaze was directed at Shoto.

I felt bad having to use my quirk against Bakugo but he left me without any choice. He looked so determined to use his quirk on us. And from what I've witnessed from the Sports Festival, it looked very dangerous. It was a good decision that I was the one who stopped him. If it was Inasa, a lot of people might get harmed knowing how strong his quirk was.

I walked towards my senior and bowed at him. "Senpai! I apologize for the trouble I've caused." I closed my eyes preparing myself for my punishment. A light tap on my head and a loud laugh greeted me. I gazed up at him. Mora-san was grinning.

"Yuri-chan, no need to apologize. It was a good call. I know it was just out of good intention compared to this guy right here." He nudged Inasa.

"Senpai! I swear didn't plan on using it too strong." Inasa defended himself.

Mora-san just continued laughing. He looked at me again. "You stood up for yourself. For Shiketsu. I'll allow it, just this time." My senior smiled at me and he continued to engage in a conversation with the other students in the arena. Though we have maintained distance from the rest of the UA students, I could still hear them talk about us after the incident.

"BASTARDS! You shouldn't have stopped me right there!" Bakugo kept on yelling at his classmates. His face still heated with anger at what happened.

"Hey man, we're just here to have our provisional license. No need to make a scene." A spiky red-haired guy, who they call Kirishima, calmly said.

"Especially, not at them." Shoto said with a serious tone.

"HEY YOU!" Bakugo gripped his collar. "Don't you ever think those lame people are better than me!"

This guy seriously has anger management issues. I tried not to get too obvious snooping on them.

Shoto took out Bakugo's grip on his shirt. "I didn't say all of them are. But I know some of them are strong." He glanced at me. I quickly looked away pretending to have a conversation with some stranger.

"Todoroki, your friend right there. Is she strong?" Midoriya curiously said taking out a small notebook from his pocket about to take notes.

"I think you've already seen what she's capable of. I honestly haven't seen her for a while so I don't know how skilled she is as of the moment. But Yuri is strong. Her combat skills are above average."

"Oh for fuck's sake! You're just being biased towards that girl." Bakugo snorted.

Shoto ignored him. "You know Gran Torino right?"

"Yes. I trained with him during my internship and he was with All-Might during the Kamino incident." Midoriya said out of enthusiasm. "But, why are you bringing him up, Todoroki?"

"Gran Torino is Yuri's grandfather. So even if we turn a blind eye on it, we cannot hide the fact that Yuri had gone through rigid training as with other aspiring heroes here. Maybe even tougher."

"Yeah." Midoriya scratched his head. "The old man actually didn't go easy on me the last time."

Todoroki talking about me with his friends, not bad.

Shoto's classmates became silent. All of them taking a glance at us.

"So, those from Shiketsu are not really a joke, huh?" Kirishima said.

"I mean I haven't seen all their quirks except for Yuri." Todoroki replied.

"I heard that buzzed cut guy placed 1st on the exams. He's under a special recommendation from UA." Iida took out his headgear and placed it on his side.

"If that's the case, then he must be strong. I couldn't exactly recall him though." Todoroki replied.

"And he turned down the offer to attend? I don't get it." A guy with weird holes on his elbows spoke.

"Didn't Sorahiko-san take the exam as well?" A brown-haired girl asked Shoto.

"She didn't. I honestly didn't know she was offered a recommendation. I learned it just now." Shoto replied.

As Shoto was talking with his classmates, I couldn't help but notice how he looked more at ease when engaging with them. He wasn't the old Shoto who used to shut off everyone who was trying to get close to him.

Has he really changed? Plus he's more talkative now than before. I think that's good.

I shook my head as I realized that I was thinking of Shoto too much.

"Yu-chan." Inasa spoke beside me.

"Hmm?" I looked at him absent-mindedly.

"12 o'clock approaching." As he said those words, he disappeared from my sight and I saw a dual-haired boy walking towards my direction. As he comes closer, I immediately walked away to ignore him.

"Yuri." Damn it. I continued to walk away pretending I didn't hear him but his voice grew louder.

"Yuriko." I finally turned around sensing the slight irritation in his voice. "I don't know why you're avoiding me but can you just stop?"

"I'm not avoiding you." I lied. "Why? Did you want to talk about something?" I kept my voice from breaking.

Since the incident, I have forced myself to sound casual when talking to Shoto. I have built a wall around myself whenever we're together. I didn't want to feel how I felt back then. If only he knew how hurt I was hearing those words from him years ago.

"Do you happen to be mad at me?" He replied.

"No." My response was brief. I didn't want to have this conversation any longer. It feels so awkward. It's as if I don't know how to be myself when he's around.

"If not," He grabbed my wrist the second time today. What is up with him being too touchy all of a sudden? "Then why are you being like this?" His irritation gone. I can feel anger in his voice. His heterochromatic eyes were focused on my brown ones. Mora-san, Camie, Shishikura and Inasa looked at our direction. I saw the brown-haired guy walk towards us.

"What do you mean, being like this?" I gently took out Shoto's hand from my wrist.

Okay Yuriko, get a grip on yourself. Don't let your emotions get a hold of you.

"You're..." Shoto shook his head. "Nevermind." His gaze back at me again. But this time, I didn't see any indifference in his eyes. They were the same as how he was to me when we were young. Caring and sincere. I started to feel a slight pang of guilt. Am I being too hard on him? On myself?

"Is there a problem here?" Inasa finally said walking in between us.

I shook my head.

"Come on Yu-chan. The test is about to start." Inasa said. I gave Shoto one last look. He nodded at me and a smiled formed his lips. I saw his expression softened. My eyes narrowed as I saw him smile for the first time today. Or was it the second time? I finally smiled back at him without having to force myself. I felt bad having to push him away every time he tried to make a decent conversation with me. Maybe, just maybe, he did really changed.

"Yuri" He called out my name again. "I need to talk to you later. Meet me after the exam." Shoto looked at my brown orbs waiting for a reply. A hint of desperation in his voice.

I nodded. My eyes still meeting his. "I'll meet you at the lobby. See you later, Shoto." I grinned. I saw his expression relaxed a little. I turned my heel away and waved at him. I continued to walk beside Inasa.

He's not the same cold guy who pushed me out of his life from years back. Whatever happened to him in UA has totally changed him. But something in me needed that apology. I want him to know that what he told me back really hurt.